


To Break Out

by AbigailsDomain



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Love Story, M/M, Mermaid Asra, Nonbinary Asra (The Arcana), Some swear words, Soul Mate AU, gender neutral reader, if you've ever read l. j. smith's night world series, imprisoned main character, may continue it may not, mermaid au, which will become apparent later, you'll probably recognize the soul mate bond from that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2020-09-25 21:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20378695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbigailsDomain/pseuds/AbigailsDomain
Summary: You're as surprised as the rest of the world when an ad in the newspaper claims an aquarium has found and captured a Mermaid. You go out of curiosity and end up getting hired as the researcher and care taker of the mermaid. All to help the mermaid escape imprisonment.





	1. Chapter 1

You weren't too sure what to believe when you read that newspaper ad.

'Finally after years of searching, we've found one! Come to Robinson's Aquarium to see the first ever captured Mermaid!' with a picture of a shadowed figure that could of been a Mermaid, but could also have been someone dressed up as one.

You figured it was a load of baloney, put it aside and went on with your day. However, no matter where you went, people where talking about it. On the radio, in the shops, even in your favorite café. You where thoroughly done with hearing about it when you turned your TV on later that night, only for the news channel to be talking about it. You where about ready to turn it off and go to bed when the screen switched to just outside the aquarium in question, where a news reported and a person was seemingly being interviewed about their time inside.

You kept the TV on, because as much as you hated to admit it, after hearing about it so much your interest was piqued. They went on to describe the experience and at the end on it, you left like you where being played. Really, how many people did this Robinson guy pay off just to get some publicity for his aquarium? You turn off the TV and go to bed.

Three months pass, where everyone keeps talking about it and no one posts pictures at all, you think to yourself bitterly. You read an article about that, apparently Robinson is very strict about no pictures, to the point where he hired guards. He claims it's because he wants everyone to have a fresh experience. You call bull on that. The whole situation it very suspicious and after three months of non stop news and people going to see this mermaid and coming out satisfied, you're at your wits end. So with some vague feeling of disgust, you drop your money on a ticket and drive your way there.

You're pretty lucky to live relatively close, it's only an hour and a half drive. The entire time, you're arguing with yourself, part of you wanting to turn around and go back, the other part countering with the money you just spent. After all, you spent the money on it, might as well go, right?

With that thought in mind, you pull into parking spot and walk in. The door jingles like you just wanted into a small café and the receptionist looks up. Their eyes go wide and they immediately stand up, back straight like you're their commanding officer.

"Mr. Robinson has told us about you and we are to let you through and give you this," They walk around their desk, holding out an envelope. You take it out of habit and tear it open pulling out a letter.

'Dear ________,

I have always been a big fan of your research papers, especially your latest one featuring clues on how to find Mermaid homes. Using your knowledge, I was able to find and capture one, so that I could prove to every nay sayer that you where right. As a token of gratitude to you, who helped me locate the Mermaid I have put on display, I have included a V.I.P card, so that you may come and see the product of your research as many times as you'd like.

Sincerely,

Mr. Robinson'

That vague sense of disgust you where feeling before? Yeah, it's full force now.

Yes, you use to be a researcher, leading a team on a hopeful journey to discover Mermaids. You thought it was bogus at the time, but had to go with it anyway because money ruled the world. You weren't expecting it to go anywhere, but then you started to discover unexplained stuff, like scales that where far to big for any fish, or a sharp tooth that didn't match any shark they could find, coral formations that looked almost like a room in a house. You started believing that maybe mermaids were real, just hiding really well.

However, after you submitted your report and it got posted, the government changed office and cut your funding, meaning you had to disband before your research really even got the chance to take off. If that hadn't happened, you might have discovered Mermaid's yourself and you would have put protective measures in place, so that they wouldn't end up in tank at an aquarium like the one that's being held captive right here.

"Mr. Robinson would like to speak with you, but he has requested that you go see the Mermaid first" The receptionist voice almost makes you jump, you had forgotten they where standing there in your short trip down memory lane. You pull the ticket out, giving it to the receptionist. They look hesitant to accept it, having just given you the V.I.P card but you insist. You did spend the money already and this aquarium had a 'no returns' policy. Plus, you weren't about to call down their manger just for this. They take the ticket and direct you to the door into the aquarium.

Inside, there are a few people here, but not too many. It's closing soon, so there are not many people around. Plus, the hype over the mermaid has worn off quite a bit now.

There are signs pointing you in the correct direction and you know you've found it when you see a door being guarded by two people in security uniforms. It seems the stories mentioning Mr. Robinson's caution was correct. The guards take your phone and your bag before letting you in. The room is circular and well lit, with a big circular tank in the middle, fences surrounding it. There are several guards stationed along the wall and you feel like you stepped into a spy movie. There are two other customers here, pressed up as close as they can get with the fences in the way. You walk up to an empty spot, looking into the tank with a sense of hesitance. All of your research, right here in person. Just not in the way you wanted it.

Your eyes scan the tank, looking for the figure and you spot them near the bottom. With a sudden rush of bubbles, the Mermaid smacks their hands against the glass, near where the other two customers are. The two oohhed and aawwed, looking amazed at the Mermaid's show of speed. You're the only one who seems to notice the act for what it is. Desperation and fear.

The Mermaid has thick curly white hair and beautiful brown skin. Their scales are pink and red, swirling around their hips and down their legs, with alternating white blots. They have scales of the same colors down their forearms and hands, their fingers tipped with claws that might have been sharp before but are dulled now, probably shaved down by the staff here. Their ears are webbed, a blue and purple color swirling much like their scales. The gills on either side of their neck are the same color as their webbed ears, scales spreading out around them and down their neck, over their sides. They had fins along the backside of their tail and on their forearms too. As if that action had taken all of their energy, the Mermaid floats down from the glass toward the bottom of the tank.

You are immediately concerned. Now that the surprise and shock has faded, you can see just how weak the Mermaid looked and you could just see how red and puffy their gills where. Was there something in the tank causing irritation? You look around the tank and notice just how dirty it was, expertly hidden but still there. No wonder the Mermaid looked so sick, they probably were! Was the filter not working?

As you examining the tank with a growing feeling of horror that is probably showing your face, the Mermaid suddenly becomes aware of your presence and sharply turns toward you. Your eyes meet and you find yourself staring into beautiful purple eyes. The black sclera is a little unnerving but their pupil and iris look very similar to that of a human eye, so you can ignore the black sclera as a bit of dust or something.

The Mermaid is glaring in you general direction and while you feel like you deserve it, after all you are the one who wrote the paper that apparently gave Mr. Robinson the information he needed to find and capture this Mermaid, it becomes apparent who their glaring at when a hand lands on you shoulder.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

You turn to see a man there, dressed in a three piece suit and looking like a cat that got the canary. You would explain his features, but all you could think about was those posts listing all the white male celebrities images together and his picture would fit right in.

It seemed like he was waiting for you to answer, so you answered the direct question keeping all of your complaints to yourself for now. Plus, how he refereed to the Mermaid as an 'it' rather then 'they' really rubbed you the wrong way.

"Y-Yes, sir." Your voice cracked and you have to clear your throat before you could continue.

He laughs heartily, and slaps your back hard enough to send you flying into the barrier. Hunched over the barrier as you are, your eyes met the Mermaids again. Their not just glaring now, their fins are flared up, their hands clawing into the sand and they're barring their dulled teeth in a show of defiance. Mr. Robinson scoffs, before walking off.

"We have much to discuss, so let's get to it shall we?" He throws over his shoulder. Taking a look around the room, the two customers are gone, probably having been shooed out by the guards when Mr. Robinson walked in and they are all standing at attention in the presence of their employer.

There's a small tap on the glass and you turn to see the Mermaid right there, hand splayed on the glass, the amount of desperation in their eyes breaking your heart. You can't reach the glass and you doubt the Mermaid would be able to hear you through it, so you hope your eyes convey your message:

_I'll come back for you.___

With that, you turn quickly and follow after Mr. Robinson. It would not do to angry such a wealthy man.  
———————————----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Mr. Robinson leads you to his office, beautiful ornate doors and impressively clean carpet, and furniture from the Rocco type. This was a man with a lot of money to spend. He takes a seat at his desk and gestures to the chair directly in front. 

_ _"Please, have a seat," He waits for you to sit and settle in before continuing, " Someone of your learning and intellect has probably already noticed the sate of the Mermaid's tank, yes?"_ _

_ _"Yes, I have," You wonder how anyone could not notice it, but you digress._ _

_ _"Good. You see, the Mermaid is very difficult. We have a hard time cleaning it's tank because it is so aggressive toward us. You saw how it had tried to attack the customers."_ _

_ _You nod along as he talks, listening and hoping that none of you're inner feelings are showing. You pretend you're making a speech about your research, needing to keep your face from showing your true feelings and it works well enough. He stops talking, presumably to let his words sink in, but then the silence stretches and you realize he's waiting for you to talk._ _

_ _"I-is that what you want to discus with me?" You voice comes out surprisingly steady, after rushing to talk to keep the moment from getting awkward. You're not the best at social interactions, especially with people who had enough money to pay for your killing and a lot left over._ _

_ _"Yes, that's correct. Someone like you, who has done much research on marine animals, plus your brief research on the Mermaids, will be trained enough to be able to deal with it's mood swings and aggression. So, my proposition to you is, come work for me as the caretaker of the Mermaid. This way, you can continue your research, get payed for it and my aquarium has a clean tank for the Mermaid to live in. What do you say?"_ _

_ _As much as you wanted to spit in his face and say 'no', doing so would probably put you on his shit list and take away the V.I.P card you just got, so that was a no go. And besides, you had just promised the Mermaid that you'd be back, even if the promise was more to yourself then to them. And if you worked here, you'd be able to help the Mermaid, like you wanted to and maybe discover a way to break them out of captivity. Okay, so that was your more lofty goal, but you gotta aim high, right? And you'll also get the opportunity to study them, the little researcher in you squealed. Okay, so maybe you where a little selfish, but your main goal was to help the Mermaid._ _

_ _So with a smile you hoped looked real, you held out your hand and said, "I would be happy to work for you."_ _

_ _Mr. Robinson's lips curled into a smile of his own, looking like a cat that got the canary as he took your hand and shook, saying, "It will be a pleasure working with you."_ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long, I was sitting on this chapter because I wasn't sure if I wanted to end it where I ended it but then I had a hard time writing anything past that point for this time so I procrastinated hard. I finally made a decision, so now the chapter can go up! I know the ending is a little abrupt but there wasn't much I could really do with that. I hope you enjoy anyway!

Mr. Robinson gives you two weeks to get your other work place in order before coming to work at his aquarium. As much as you dislike him for his treatment of the Mermaid, you are grateful he gave you this. With how your already making plans on how you're going to care for the Mermaid, your other job would fall to the wayside, which wouldn't be fair to your boss or coworkers.

* * *

So the first thing you do is hand in your letter of resignation to your now former boss. She gives you a knowing look as she takes the letter. She knows you well enough to guess what's in the letter and your reasons for it.

"So, the Mermaid it's a fake, huh?" Her voice sounds bittersweet. You're not too sure what she's thinking that's causing the tone.

"Yes, that's right" You nod as you say this, leveling a serious expression her way. You want to show just how serious about this you are.

"Well, I can't just trap you here when you have such conviction in your eyes. That Mermaid is lucky to have you to help them," Her face turns serious then and her voice drops into a whisper, "Just be aware, that Robinson is as shady as they come."

You nod, as you had already knew this. Mr. Robinson was well known for his lack of good morals among marine biologists, willing to do anything to cut corners and save money on his many aquariums around the world. It's no wonder the Mermaid is in such bad shape, with how the government is still debating weather a Mermaid is like a fish or like a human and what laws would apply.

"I'm hoping you have a plan, at least?" Her voice brings you back to the present.

"The plan is to gather evidence of Mr. Robinson's mistreatment and research the Mermaid to get enough information to prove to the court and government that Mermaids are more like humans and hopefully get Mr. Robinson behind bars" Your voice is clear and strong as you say this. It was obvious to you the moment you first saw the Mermaid, the emotions you say in their face, the way they glared at Mr. Robinson and the way they met your eyes with cautious hope and wariness. Mermaids have intelligence and emotions similar to that of a human. Now, you just needed to prove that to everyone else.

"Okay, that's your end goal, but do you have a plan to get there?" Her voice sounds exasperated and her eyes tell you she already knows the answer. And your face confirms it, as you realize you don't really have a step by step plan yet. Besides, you're more of a 'wing it while it's happening' kind of person. She sighs but her smile tells you she kind of expected that.

"Well, already. Just remember to be careful and don't get too distracted by the Mermaid's care, no matter how interesting it is"

You nod, as you know that your new workplace will be much different from this one.

The first week is spent getting your current work all finished and your papers all written and submitted. Your coworkers are all sad to see you go, but are also really happy for you, since you get to finish your research.

"At least it's better then looking at coral samples" One says to you. You want to disagree as you really liked researching the coral, but compared to a Mermaid it holds no candle. You share a laugh together then you say as such.

The first week passes quickly, your ongoing projects that you couldn't finish get handed to a new recruit and you say good bye to your old office. It's bittersweet, the little party your coworkers throw for you on your last day, with a cake and everything. You feel very touched and it's nice leaving on good terms with your coworkers and friends. On your way out, the boss comes up to you and says, "You always have a place here with us."

It's nice, knowing you have a place to fall back on if this plan of yours falls through. It eases a bit of the anxiety you feel at having to get to know a whole new group of people and dodge Mr. Robinson. You share a smile and a thank you with everyone before leaving. It gives you the courage to see this through.

* * *

You're a week early, but Mr. Robinson doesn't protest. In fact, he seems very glad that you're early. You read and sign the paperwork under his watchful eyes and he gives you a little orientation before saying he'll be gone for a few months to go check up on his other aquariums. You feel relief that he won't be there. He hands your orientation off to another coworker and walks out. Thus starts the tour. This coworker, a tired looking man, takes you through the aquarium, showing you all the different rooms and the different sized tanks and where to find the filters. The building is three levels, the top floor being employee only and where they feed the fish in the ceiling to floor tanks. The second floor is the display floor, what the customers see when they come in. It's best to keep this floor as clean as possible, Mr. Robinson gets angry if it's dirty, he tells you. The third floor is the behind the scenes floor, where all the filters for the tanks are located, as well as the tools required to fix them and other storage stuff too.

He takes you right to the Mermaid's tank water filters, two of them as the tank was fairly large and asks if you know how to fix filters. You do, it was something you learned while interning at a marine biology lab.

"Well, have at it," He says with a wave of his hand before walking off. You're surprised at his flippant attitude, but working under Mr. Robinson probably does that too you.

Before you set you're eyes on the water filters, you take a look at the tank itself. The dirt is a lot more noticeable down here, without all the strategic lighting and barriers in the way of the glass. You walk right up to it, looking for the Mermaid in the water. You spot them higher up, jerkily swimming in front of several customers. You could practically feel their agitated feelings at being watched like this, the uncomfortable feelings of being the center of attention with no way out. You want to help in some way, get them to focus on you, or at the very least get them down here where the customers won't bother them as much.

Your not sure yet if the Mermaid has a Lateral Line organ, which would make tapping on the glass a bad idea, maybe. Maybe because for normal fish, tapping on the glass sends them into a panic because they can't tell where the sound is coming from. The Mermaid has already shown you they're much more intelligent then the average fish, so maybe they'll be able to tell where the sound is coming from, if they have a Lateral Line organ at all. Only one way to find out, really.

Very carefully, you place your fingertips against the glass with slight force. You don't want to make a deafening sound, but more like a little tap. Immediately their agitated swimming stops and they turn in your direction. You blink and they're in front of you, splaying their hand against yours. If the glass hadn't been there, your hands would have been touching. Your eyes meet theirs and they look... a little happier? That's not really the right word, as you doubt they could be happy in a tank, but they look more at ease after seeing you. You also feel more at ease with them in your sight.

From what you could see, they haven't gotten any better. Still sick and weak looking, but they've survived and you're here to make them feel better.

With that thought, you turn your attention to the water filters. There's two of them, set on either side on the tank, with tubes that are set higher up. One filter is still running while the other has stopped, machinery groaning instead of the quiet hum the other one was making. You check the still running one first and find the only problem is the dirty filter, which can be easily fixed. You walk over to the nearby desk and start rummaging around for what you need. You find all the tools you'll need to fix the broken filter hopefully. If it's worse then what you think, you'll have to try and convince Mr. Robinson to replace it. You shudder at that thought. If you understand Mr. Robinson as well as you think, that will be an argument you'd rather avoid.

You find spare filters in a drawer. You don't even try to clean the dirty. Just by looking at how caked in dirt it is, you wouldn't be able to clean it. You replace it with the clean one and double check the rest of it. Now that the clean one was in, there might be problems you didn't see before but a quick look shows that the filter is in working order. With a satisfied nod, you walk over to the broken filter. This one you'll probably have to take apart, since the problem seems to be internal and not just the filter. You give an annoyed sigh. These heavy duty water filters are a pain to take apart.

You grab the tools needed and the key before making your way back over. You find the control panel and insert the key, before turning off the filter. No way where you going to stick your hand into moving machine parts, you didn't want to lose any fingers, thank you. You pop the lid, hoping that maybe the problem would be easy to see and didn't need you to clean and/or replace every little part. Surprisingly, yours hopes are answered. You spot a wade of something green between the moving parts. Using the heavy duty tweezers, you pull it out to find its... seaweed? Yeah, it's a big wade of seaweed. While you're not sure where it came from, you find yourself looking over to the Mermaid, who's looking very sheepish and avoids your eyes when you turn to meet them.

...

Alright, so that's where it came from but it doesn't really answer the important question of how??

While the tube is definitely big enough to allow this wade of seaweed to pass through, that doesn't mean anything. With a lean and a twist, you can see the point where the tube meets the tank and yup, there's a grate there, with small holes in it only really big enough to allow water through and nothing else. You look back to the Mermaid, vainly hoping they could give you an answer of some kind, but they're still avoiding your eyes. Fine, whatever, it didn't matter anyway. You throw the wade of seaweed in the trash and take another look into the filter. There's a slight build up of dirt you should probably get rid of. You look over to the other filter when you realize that, oh yeah that ones probably got a lot more dirt build up then this one does. With a sigh, you resign the new few hours to cleaning.

Cleaning water filters is, in a word, boring. It's a repetitious action of pulling one part out, scrubbing the dirt off with water and a cleaning agent, rinsing and drying it and then setting it back into place. You do it this way as you have a habit of forgetting where each piece goes when they're all laid out in front of you.

Surprisingly, the Mermaid stays around. You would have thought they'd get bored watching you work and swim away, but apparently not, as they stayed for the whole time. Well, considering they're stuck in a tank, there isn't a whole lot to do, you supposed. Maybe you're the most interesting, out of everything they could watch. You catch yourself sneaking a few glances their way, mostly out of curiosity. Are they still here? The answer is a resounding yes, every time it seems.

You notice that the Mermaid has a wary look on their face, plus a little confusion. That's understandable, after all they are watching one of their possible allies keeping their cage in working order. You wish you could somehow tell them that you have to do this, to do the work Mr.Robinson gives you, put out an image of respect and support, so that when your plan goes into effect he doesn't suspect you right away. And you don't want to say anything out loud, in the off chance that Mr. Robinson has put small microphones around. This was a lot harder then you thought it would be.

You look up then and the Mermaid doesn't look wary anymore? Yeah, in fact they look relieved and the distance they had been keeping from you has shrunk, them floating in the water right next to you as you finish cleaning the second filter.

Okay, so apparently they had heard you? While you're happy your message got across, you're also a little freaked out at the possibility that Mermaids could read minds. You decide to table that line of research for the time being. There are tests you can do to find out later, after all.

You finish cleaning the last filter part and insert it back into it's proper place. Taking a last look inside shows you that there isn't a spec of dirt in sight. Feeling satisfied with a job well done, you close the lid and start up the filter. With both filters humming like well oiled machines, any dirt present in the water will be purged. Of course there's still a lot of settled dirt that needs to be manually cleaned, but the filters should clean out any really dangerous things in the water.

Your stomach growls and you take that as your cue to break for lunch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, much sooner then the last chapter! There is a lot of interaction in this one, I hope you enjoy! And make sure to tell me what you enjoyed! Just to let you know, I will be participating in the Love Like Yours fest on tumblr. It starts on May 17, but I want to get my writing all done for it in advance. So I'll get to really writing chapter 4 after I'm done that. This will also give me time to plan what happens next. Without further ado, enjoy~!

The break room is sparsely furnished, having just a table, a few chairs, a fridge and a small freezer. The lack of furniture makes the big room seem even more spacious. The furniture has been put in a corner, out of the way. Possibly to make room for the various tank hatches you can see around the floor.

Before getting your lunch, you locate the mermaid's tank hatch which ends up being easy as the tanks are labeled. The glass hatch is locked and through the top you can see something black making a criss cross shape. You can also see the colorful fins and tail of the mermaid. Before you get to opening the hatch, you want to check on what exactly the staff has been feeding them, if only to confirm your suspicions.

You want over to the nearby bin labeled 'Mermaid Food' and open it. Your nose immediately crinkles at what you see. Cheep fish food made from junk and non nutritious fillers. No wonder the Mermaid is so sick, you think again for the umpteenth time. You close the lid, grab the nearby keys and walk over to the fridge to grab your lunch and the three different types of fish you brought with you.

You had anticipated the staff not feeding the mermaid well or at all, so you brought along some fish you bought, to make sure they could get the nutrients they desperately need. You set the packages and your lunch box aside and open the hatch.

It swings up easily and locks in place, finally giving you a clear view into the tank from above.

The first thing you see is the thick metal net stretched over the top, probably to keep the mermaid in but it had you frowning anyway. Way to make them feel even more like a prisoner.

You spot the mermaid just under the surface, watching you with intent eyes. When they see you focus on them, they point to the netting on your left. Your eyebrows raise but you look anyway and see a lock. Apparently the netting was locked in place and if you wanted to remove it, you'd have to unlock it and manually move it. You would like to remove it completely but it looked like one side was permanently affixed to the tank. You'll just have to settle with folding it back.

You find the key easily, as the keyring only has two and you've already used one. The lock falls open and you carefully move the metal netting back and away. You have just settled back in your spot, reaching for the packages when you hear a splash. Turning, you come face to face with the Mermaid, their hands on the floor lifting themselves from the water, dripping all over the floor. You should probably go grab a towel, but you can't bring yourself to move, having met their beautiful eyes. They're staring so intently at your face, you wonder if they're trying to memorize it. Their scrutiny has your cheeks getting warm and they smile a teasing grin before lowering down onto a ledge just underneath the waters surface, that you just noticed was there. Sitting down like this, they're around your height.

Your cheeks still warm, you grab your lunch box and pull out the blanket you brought along and spread it along the ground. You move the packages onto the blanket before opening them, their curious eyes watching you the whole time. You look up in time to see their face brighten when they recognize the fish sitting in the packages. Considering the fact that the mermaid was from the sea, you opted to get saltwater fish, a salmon, a haddock and a plate of shrimp, all unbreaded of course.

You're turning back from grabbing the fork you brought to see they're already eating, grabbing pieces of salmon between dulled claws and bring it to their mouth. They catch your eye while reaching for another piece and pause. You raise the fork and offer it to them. Their teasing smile is back and they lift their hand, spreading their fingers showing off the webbing between. You blush again as you realize that would make holding utensils a little difficult.

"Ah, sorry. I forgot about that" You say as you set the fork aside. They tilt their head at the sound of your voice, curious eyes on your lips. Do mermaids even have the required earing organs needed to detect sound waves?

You tilt your own head, trying to get a good look at their fined ears. They notice what you're looking at and turn their head to give you a better view. As you watch, the fin spreads wide all the different colors catching the light.

Is the Mermaid... _showing off_ for you?

Their beautiful fins are very distracting and you really wish you could examine them up close and in detail, but now is not the time for that. You can see a hole right where it would be on a human ear which is a good sign, but you don't really have the equipment needed to actually see inside. As you watch, the hole closes, scales suddenly sliding over and sealing it shut. You actually jolt a little in your surprise and you can see the corner of their teasing smile pulling at their cheek.

They _are_ showing off for you!

Shaking off that revelation, you focus back on the hole, watching as it opens again. This is probably to keep the water out? Or maybe it's a protection against very loud underwater sounds? You'll have to make note of it later.

You lean back from your forward tilt, indicating that you're done and the Mermaid starts eagerly eating again. You pull your own lunch box toward you, remembering that you haven't eaten yet. You pull out your sandwich and start eating, leaving the mermaid to their own food. Best not to distract them any more then you already have.

The mermaid finishes before you do, content to watch you eat with a soft look on their face you really don't want to try deciphering right now.

Once you're done, you go to pack up and see the container of shrimp left untouched. Weather or not they ate all the food doesn't really bother you however it does make you wonder why they left it. Maybe a question for later, when you can communicate more complicated subjects. If you can, anyway.

You see movement in front of you and look up. When the mermaid sees you looking, they hold out their hand palm facing toward you and watch you eagerly but patiently. You're not sure what they want from you, but hadn't they done this before? In the filter room, with a wall of glass between. Maybe that's what they want?

You lift up your own hand and after hesitating a moment, place your hand against theirs.

You feel their smooth scales and the barely there feeling of their webbing, but nothing else beyond that. You look to their face, see their patient smile and decide to wait a little longer.

Shame starts setting in a moment later, after all what did you think would happen? This was obviously some kind of greeting ritual, much like handshakes. Just because mermaids exist doesn't mean magic does too-

Your thoughts jolt to a standstill as a shock goes up your arm. It seems to travel into your chest where it settles and fades. It only takes a moment but it feels like an hour. You feel a pressure cupped around your hand and see that the mermaid has grabbed it. It takes a moment of staring before it registers that you're holding on just as tightly. With no small amount of awkwardness, you loosen your hand but can't bring yourself to let go. So there you sit, holding the hand of a mermaid while trying to convince yourself to let go.

You in the middle of imagining one of your coworkers walking in, the horrified screaming and the insults and the threats and you watch as all your plans burn to ash in front of you, when waving movement catches your attention. You're thrust out of your day-nightmare, meeting the eyes of the mermaid, their hand hovering in the air in front of them. There's a barely contained excitement about them, like something really _really_ good has just happened and they can't wait to tell someone. Their eyes are bright and happy and you feel like you've missed something major. Their happiness is a little contagious and you want to pull them into a hug. You push that urge down, it wouldn't really be appropriate, after all.

Their hand starts moving, making unfamiliar shapes and symbols that you are surprised to find that you can understand. Their hand goes slow, giving you enough time to process the shapes before moving on to the next.

_I'm so glad I've found you._

You're not sure how they found you when you're the one who found them but okay. You won't point that out in favor of figuring out this version of sign language. After all, this is a silent communication, something that wouldn't get picked up by the microphones probably hiding everywhere. First things first, though.

You point to the shrimp and mime eating and then tilt your head, hoping your question gets through. You feel just a little ridiculous, but communication between foreign people was never a smooth street. The mermaid has a hand covering their mouth, which makes you think their trying not to laugh at you. It's not something you really mind, but it does make you feel a little embarrassed. You really hope none of your coworkers decide now is a good time for lunch.

The mermaid finally moves to answer your mimed question, revealing their smile. You can't help but think how beautiful it looks.

_That fish tastes good but isn't very nutritious._

You nod your understanding and pack away the left over food, reluctantly letting go of their hand. The way they squeeze before letting go makes you think they feel the same.

With everything gone, you sit down with a notepad and pen, and have the mermaid teach you their sign language. It's made easy with you being able to understand the symbols and shapes. Which is the first thing you ask about. As you slowly sign your question, the mermaid helps correct your hands and patently smiles when you start getting frustrated. Somehow, it always makes you feel better.

_How was I able to understand your sign language?_

The mermaid stares at you in way that makes you think they think you're joking. You stare back, hoping they catch on that you're being serious. It takes a moment, as they search your face looking for something and after seemingly not finding it, they curl into themselves, hiding their face before you could really see what expression they where making but the little glimpse you caught looked a lot like despair. You want to comfort them somehow, but you're not sure what caused this and a touch of a stranger will probably not be welcome. You patently wait as they calm, hoping your feelings of comfort are enough. A moment later, they straighten and start signing.

_The short answer is, merpeople have a magical bond that binds some of us to others. Sometimes this bond is between two people, sometimes it's between more than two. However, those who are bonded together stay together. You humans call it 'Soulmates'._

You're shocked to find out that soulmates are an actual thing but you're more annoyed that they didn't really answer your question. After all, they implied that the magical bond only happened to their people. So your question remains unanswered.

You're about to sign your thoughts to them, when your phone buzzes signaling the end of your lunch break. You can feel your face falling into a pout, after all you would much rather stay here talking to them than go back to work. You don't really have much of a choice, however. They seem to find your pout entertaining at least, since they're smiling that soft smile again. They lift their hands and start signing to you.

_The time for your break is over, right? I'll be sad to see you go. Come visit me again soon, okay?_

You nod, after all you still have a lot of stuff left to do to help them. You start to replace the netting when they wave for your attention.

_I never introduced myself, have I? My name is Asra._

You blink in shock because it never occurred to you have their people would have names, but in hindsight of course they would have. You feel the ashamed blush spreading across your cheeks as you sign your name to them in return. They're smiling, though as they sign back.

_Don't worry about it. We are two different species, after all. I am probably very alien to you, aren't I? In any case, I hope you stay well._

With a wink and a blown kiss in your direction, they disappear down into the tank. You stand there and stare, wondering just where did they learn that gesture? The answer comes immediately after, since they have been trapped here for quite a while, it stands to reason they've probably seen many human gestures. You shake your head and start putting the netting back in place and closing the hatch.

It's time to get back to your very boring work.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, why not leave a kudos and review? I would love to hear what you thought! If you noticed something in the story I should tag for or if you see any misspelled words or any lines that doesn't make sense, Please tell me as well! I do all the editing myself and sometimes things slip through the cracks. Also know that I work a lot of hours and that means less energy and time to write. If I do continue this, which I am planning on it, there will be a lot of time between chapters. I ask for your patience.


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